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n. M. MANVSUR, oF AUGUSTA, MAINE. Letters Patent No. 70,586, dated November 5, 1867.

@its .dnmle referat tu im tigers eitetsatmtanh mating aan uf tige same.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCER'N:

VBe it known that I, R. M. MANSUR, of Augusta, county of Kennebec, and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ice-Tongs and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciication, v

in which- Figure I is a side elevation of my'improved ice-tongs, and

Figure 2 is a. similar view, illustrating in black and red lines the operation of the same.

Similar letters. refer to like parts in both figures.

My invention consists in the employment of an elastic wire, or its equivalent, provided with angular hooks or claws so arranged as to be 'opened by the action of the inclined faces ofthe hooks when pressed'against the block of ice, or other material upon which it operates, to 'seize and release said block, as hereinafter explained.

To enable others'to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, together with the several modifications in construction contemplated by me,l with reference to the accompanying drawing.

A A represent the tongs, made in this instance of a single piece of iron rod orwire, bent at B into a. coil, and provided at its extremities with the angular hooks or claws C C, so applied or bent as to form an acute angle with the shank A,'asrepreseuted atg. 1. These hooks or prongs may be of any desired length, and will vary according to the size of the implement, and the angle of relation of said prongs to the shank may be varied, as experience or the judgment of the constructor may dictate.

The objectof this construction will be readily understood by inspection of g. 2 of the drawing. '.l'he` degree of expansion of the tongs, or distance between the Shanks, should be equal to or greater than the size of the block of ice they are designed to handle, so that when placed upon said block in position shownin dotted black lines, igl 2, the inclined faces of the'hook C will rest uponthe corners of such block, when, by a slight pressure upon the coil or handle B, the resistance'of the ice will serve to expand the tongs, causing the points to pass the opposing faces, and'to seizethe block of ice, as shown in black lines, iig. 2. When it is desired to release the ice the tongs are further forced downward until the prongs pass the same, as shown in red lines, iig. 2, or until the approaching arms or legs of the tongs strike against the opposing faces'or angles of the block,

and are expanded thereby, when, by using the coil or handle-end as allever, the prongs maybe turned away' from the block, which is thereby released, or the arm-may be expanded, and the block released by'hand. If preferred, the coil in the wire may be dispensedwitb, or the arms may be made separate, and inserted into a. wooden handle, and any desired lform, whether at or round, may be given to the rod or Wire of which the arms are made, so long as the elasticity thereof is preserved.

`Havingjnow described'the construction and operation of' my invention, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The ice-tongs or hook, provided with the elastic arms A, and the angular, sharpened, or pointed prongs or teeth C, constructed and operating in the manner andfor the purpose set forth.

` R. M. MANSURIIIL. 8.]

Witnesses: Y

' A. G. N. BIILEY,

EDWARD FENN. 

